The Princess & The Warrior
by The Brain of Ivane
Summary: She was once just a dream, a star he didn't know how to reach. Now, the princess was the warrior's and he was hers and Alek didn't want to have it any other way. Set in ancient Egypt. AU.
1. Just Hold Me

**Author's Note: **_I really don't have any business starting a new NLOCK story, considering the other two aren't done yet, but I could not for the life of me get this story out of my head. It just had to be written, so yeah... here you go. This was intended to be a three-shot, but it's now a four-shot. The maximum shots this story is going to have is five. For my sanity's sake, it cannot go beyond that. _

_As a warning, the story is very AU. S__ome of the characters will have name changes. I think I'll only stick with the names of Chloe, Alek and Jasmine. All the other characters will have different names, so try to see if you can guess who is who. Also, the story is bound to have _its implausibilities (e.g. two blonde folks named Alek and Chloe in Ancient Egypt), but well, I figured I'd play around with the idea. I did try to read up on Ancient Egyptian civilization for costumes and such, but it will have its inaccuracies.

_A special shout-out goes to **theregoesnash** for agreeing to go through the story's chapters. Her input really helped improve the story into what it is now. Lots of love and thanks goes to her for her... (why is it that the only word I can think of to write is "patience", the ever-elusive virtue? Apparently, I don't have that virtue either, because I couldn't wait to post the story up. Writers can be so needy... tsk, tsk...)_

**Disclaimer: **_Yeah, yeah… I don't own NLOCK and its characters. (Just wondering… Why do we even put these disclaimers up? Is it kind of like S.O.P. for fan fiction or something? Oh well, when in fan fiction, do what the fan ficitionians do.)_

**-oiOio-**

_All of Egypt agreed how strange a thing it was that in one generation, a boy and a girl would be born with hair shining bright as the sun. Amidst a sea of raven-haired citizens, both he and she were certainly out of place, perhaps 'tis the reason why many mused whether or not they belonged together. However, it could not be so, for the kingdom's affluent nobility certainly could never agree to such a pairing._

_It was simply not acceptable. _

_She was the Pharaoh's daughter, princess of Egypt, betrothed to the prince of Persia, destined to unite the two kingdoms. He was an orphan, a street rat, plucked from obscurity by the high priestess of Bastet, trained to become one of the kingdom's most powerful warriors. It was not their place to belong together, and yet to both the princess and the warrior, nothing in the world felt right without the other. _

_Thus, when her sixteenth birthday came, the war between love and duty raged within them, because that day marked the start of her journey to Persia in order to be offered up as a bride to a man she'd never met before. He knew he had to make a choice - fight for her or lose her forever._

**-oiOio-**

The sun had just risen over the arid Egyptian landscape, illuminating the capital's black lands. The soothing rush of the river Nile's sparkling water flowed and resounded through one of the grand palace's inner courtyards. Great marble pillars supported the majestic fixture where echoes of steel clashing with steel permeated the cavern-like ceiling as two of Egypt's youngest and fiercest warriors practiced with each other to hone their fighting skills.

Clutching the bronze hilt of the sickle-sword in both hands, Jasmine stared her opponent in the eye, a disconcerted sensation coursing through her body as she saw the vacant coolness in Alek's normally warm, brown eyes as he clutched the spear in his hands.

Trained for battle since childhood, their skills used to be equally matched growing up, with Jasmine having more of an edge in long distance combat compared to Alek, who was more skilled in close combat. However, more than three years ago, when he reached his sixteenth birthday, their narrowly matched battle expertise changed. He became stronger, quicker and better than she was. Thus, the fact that she had just beaten him in all three of their matches that morning was a clear indication that something was wrong.

Crouching down and swinging a leg beneath him, making him topple to the ground, Jasmine quickly recovered and pointed the sickle-sword to his neck, looking down at him in frustration. "You're not even trying, Alek." There was no attempt to hide the disappointment and slight hint of anger in her voice as she glared at him.

Tight-lipped and silent, he pressed his palm against the blunt side of her sword to move it away from him before standing up, an expressionless look on his face. He replaced the spear where it belonged, before adjusting the wide leather waist belt securing his white loincloth before flexing his bare torso, his only adornment a golden armlet with the carved image of Bastet on his right arm and a tattoo on his back, right below his left shoulder, showing the seal that marked him as a warrior of Egypt. He turned to face Jasmine, who kept a steady gaze at him, and was about to say something when the doors of the courtyard swung open.

Alek drew a short breath when he saw who was coming. _She's here. _His fists clenched as he watched her approach, marvelling over how breathtakingly regal and magnificent she looked in the almost transparent single-strapped linen dress clinging to her womanly curves, seamlessly flowing with her every move. He dared look at her face for a moment, but quickly turned his eyes away, stunned by the strength of emotion that began to grip at him the moment he laid eyes on her. It was daunting to him that he could be so deeply aware of how much he wanted to know what it would be like to hold her in his arms, to kiss her, to simply touch her. The inner desire was so consuming in its power, he was sure that if he didn't get a hold of himself, his knees would buckle and give way beneath him. Thus, he was relieved when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jasmine bow down before the princess. He quickly followed suit, kneeling on the ground next to Jasmine.

Her head held high, Chloe was fighting to maintain the regal composure that was befitting of her status. She kept her gaze on Jasmine for a while before daring to look the other way, focusing her blue eyes on Alek. Just the sight of him was tearing her heart apart – piece by piece – and it took everything she had in her to keep herself from breaking down into tears. She was silently pleading for him to look at her. After all these years of being around him, the only form of intimacy they could share with each other was a look, a smile, a rare moment of dropping their guard to express in cryptic words what they felt for each other. She longed to sense those brown eyes on her, because after all they'd been through together, it was the only part of him that had ever dared touch her with affection. And today of all days, she needed him to look at her with affection, to assure her that he was still hers and that she was his.

Instead, Alek kept his head bowed down and his eyes downcast, making her wonder if he was aware how much it was killing her that he would not even dare look at her. "Your majesty," his deep baritone voice spoke up. "How may we be of service to you?"

Unnerved, a knot formed on her stomach and her fists clenched and unclenched. Chloe knew and detested the tone of voice that was coming from him. She'd heard it too many times before. His formality toward her was a clear indication that he was putting up that invisible, but all too familiar, wall between them again. She was acutely aware that at that moment, she was nothing more than the princess he served, and he was nothing more than one of her palace's soldiers.

"I'm here for training," she flatly announced.

The swift exchange of surprised glances between Alek and Jasmine didn't escape her notice. She had no business being there that morning. She was supposed to be preparing herself for the journey to Persia. She was supposed to be bathing in milk, soaking in jasmine and myrrh, undergoing all the beauty treatments that would prepare her for the journey to Persia, where she was to meet her bridegroom for the first time. And yet, there she was, in the last place a princess ought to be on such a day – the courtyard that served as their battle training grounds – consumed by her longing to see the warrior that had been plaguing both her waking moments and her dreams.

As she stood there, bearing the weight of his obvious attempts to push her away, she wanted nothing other than to feel his strong arms wrap around her, hear his voice assure her that all would be alright. She wanted to look at him, hold him, touch him, breathe in his scent, and ingrain every bit of his being in her memory, so that she would never forget. Yet there he was, indifferent, his eyes staring into space instead of gazing at her.

_Look at me, Alek._

"My princess," he began to speak up and her heart leaped with anticipation, "are you not supposed to be preparing for your journey tomorrow?"

Incensed by his aloofness, Chloe bit her lip. She clenched her fists so tightly, she was almost sure her nails would draw blood from her palms. Matching his formality, she gathered herself together and said through gritted teeth, "You dare question me, soldier?"

She saw the expression on his face change from defensive coolness to quiet hurt. She had just matched his wall with one of her own and both of them knew that the battle was on. That morning's training session would not be over until those walls came crashing down.

"Rise," she commanded them and both warriors promptly rose to their feet.

As Chloe began removing her jewellery and handing them over to her handmaidens, Jasmine looked back and forth from the princess to her fellow warrior. The tension in the courtyard was getting increasingly palpable and Jasmine feared for both Chloe and Alek.

Being Alek's closest friend and confidant, she stood witness to the progression of affection between him and the princess. She warned him more times than she could remember that Chloe could never be his, and yet, she saw his love grow for their beautiful, compassionate princess more each day. They all knew this day would come and Jasmine dreaded having to see their kingdom's beloved princess given away to the Persian prince, but there was nothing they could possibly do about it, and she couldn't help but wonder why Chloe was here, why she was doing this… today of all days.

Jasmine heaved a silent sigh when Chloe nodded toward them, indicating that she was now ready to commence her training.

"Your choice of weapon, majesty," Jasmine said.

Wordlessly, Chloe moved toward the vast array of weapons available and picked up a sickle-sword. Jasmine followed suit and picked up a sword of her own and was about to approach the princess when Chloe shook her head. "No, not you." She turned her blue eyes toward Alek, blatantly looking him over from head to foot, shamelessly drinking the sight of him in as she noted the scars on his body – a lot of which he attained protecting her. Her eyes reaching his foot, she let her eyes roam back to his face, finally settling on those brown eyes of his, eyes that still refused to look at her. "I want to fight you."

Alek's jaw clenched. He saw her command for what it was. A challenge.

Alek was always present in their training sessions, but he rarely fought with the princess, because after the first few times Alek and Chloe fought, the princess' handmaidens pleaded that Alek no longer fight with her, lest they suffer a heart attack. From the first moment he was tasked to train her, he never bothered to hold back just because she was their princess. After training with him, she would return to her chambers, aching with bruises, sore for days.

Jasmine shot Chloe's handmaidens a quick glance and they all looked horrified at the idea of watching their princess fight the famed warrior. "Princess…" she began to protest. "Perhaps it wouldn't be wise to…"

Chloe raised one finger to silence Jasmine, determination blazing in her bright blue eyes.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Alek nodded and began taking the sword from Jasmine's hand.

"She can't go to the prince bruised and broken," Jasmine whispered to him under her breath.

Alek gritted his teeth at the reminder of Chloe's departure. _She can't go to the prince at all. She belongs with me. _Ignoring Jasmine, he grabbed the sword and positioned himself in front of Chloe. "When you're ready, princess," he said, slightly tilting his head to the side, a hint of mockery in his tone.

Finally, he looked at her straight in the eye, but not with the affection she was longing for. He was looking at her with a fiery passion blazing in his eyes. Chloe swallowed hard. She could see the fury, the desperation, the pain in his brown eyes, and it could only remind her of the first time they were pitted against each other in a training session…

"_Are you sure you want to fight me, princess?" he asked, and she nervously nodded. By the time it was over, she was on the ground, flat on her back, sure that there wasn't a single part of her body that didn't ache. One of the soldiers warned Alek that he might just get a sound whipping for not holding back when fighting the princess and all he said was, "If she truly wants to learn, then I can't treat her like the fragile little princess that she is. I only treated her the same way I would anyone who asks me to train them." _

Chloe held a distinct sense of respect and admiration for him since then. Even after her handmaidens rallied to not have him fight her again, she requested that he be present at all of her training sessions, knowing that he would not treat her any differently than anyone else just because of who she was.

That particular morning, she was about to find out just how much she'd been able to learn from him through the years.

Taking a step forward, she began waving the sword in her hand back and forth as if to ready herself before taking one deep breath and swinging it at the man whom she wasn't allowed to admit she loved. He lifted his sword to block her blow and the fight began.

It didn't take long for Alek to realize that she was now a far better fighter than she'd been since their last fight, but it wasn't just that… there was something different about her that day. There was a part of him that actually considered holding back a little, but from the first moment she struck, the fight stopped feeling like practice and began to feel like the real thing. There was something fierce, raw… even terrifying… in the way she was fighting and even as he met every strike of her sword, Alek could only wonder at what it was that could have unleashed the warrior within her.

Jasmine and the other spectators present to witness them were surprised to find that the fight was evenly matched. There were several times when Jasmine felt the urge to intervene – sometimes on behalf of Chloe, sometimes on behalf of Alek.

An audible gasp filled the room when Chloe was successfully able to disarm Alek, his sword falling to the ground a few strides away from him. No one saw it coming. It was beyond their understanding how Chloe could've grown to be such a skilled fighter so quickly – enough to prove her mettle against a warrior like Alek. All watched with bated breath as she raised the sword to his chest, right over his heart.

As he tried to catch his breath, they were expecting him to admit defeat. Instead, he only smiled bitterly at his beautiful opponent. "That part of me has already been ripped out, princess."

Taken aback by his statement, Chloe dropped her guard, easily forgetting just how experienced a fighter he was. Her split-second moment of surprise gave him the leverage he needed to push her away, retrieve his sword and resume the fight, swinging the sickle-sword at her again. Recovering quickly, she motioned to block his blow with the weapon in her hand, only to find herself swinging at the air when he dodged her and turned to her left side, his sword swooshing in the air, grazing her left shoulder. She cried out in pain at the cut on her shoulder and everything halted.

For a moment, there wasn't a sound in the room other than Alek and Chloe's uneven breaths as both tried to get a steady gasp of air. Alek's stomach clenched at the sight of blood dripping from her shoulder. It was the first time he ever drew blood from her and he was immediately racked by guilt and concern. "Chloe…" he gasped, her name coming out of his mouth before he could stop it.

He was a mere soldier. He had no business calling her by name. All eyes shot at him in unconcealed shock – all eyes except Chloe's. A veiled smile came over her and relief flooded her being, even as she momentarily gazed at the wound on her left shoulder. The walls between them had just come crashing down. She hovered a quick gaze over everyone in the room – except him. "Leave us," she commanded with the kind of authority only people of her stature could conjure.

"Your highness, your wound…" one of her handmaidens spoke up.

"I said leave us," Chloe replied sternly in a tone that made it clear that she would not be questioned.

They complied with her command quickly, everyone milling out of the courtyard in order to leave her with him. Jasmine was the last to go, casting a concerned glance at both Alek and Chloe, before closing the doors behind her.

The moment the large oak doors banged shut, Alek dropped his sword to the ground and rushed to the princess he had just wounded. "Forgive me, your majesty," his voice breaking as he said it. He stopped barely an inch away from her, looking at her with a mixture of sorrow and concern in his brown eyes as he looked over her wound.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch," she whispered hoarsely, gazing up at him, recording every feature of his finely-chiselled face into memory.

They stood for a moment, marvelling at the sight of the other, cherishing the few moments they could spend alone – just him and her. They simply looked, standing so close to each other, neither touching the other. He was staring at the small trickle of blood dripping down her arm. It wasn't deep. It would not even scar, but he hated that it was him who caused it. She, on the other hand, was staring at the rise and fall of his chest as he tried to catch his breath, noting once again the battle scars he had there, memories filling her mind of times he had risked his own life to save hers.

The longing to touch the other consumed both of them. Going through the past years feeling the way they did for each other, but never being able to give in to the indulgence of experiencing each other's touch, had been sheer torment. And standing so close to each other, alone, it was impossible not to give in. Practically in unison, both caved in. She ran her soft, delicate fingers over a particularly long scar on his torso, while he softly brushed his calloused thumb below the wound on her arm.

She found herself trembling at the contact, shaken by the sensations running through her body. She never could've imagined that just touching him would have such an effect on her.

Sensing the soft tremble of her lithe form, he quickly withdrew his hand, hesitant, wondering if he had overstepped his boundaries. She was the princess. The only justification he had for touching her would be to protect her from harm. It felt as if there was no one there to protect her from except himself.

_I want you so badly, _he found himself thinking the words he couldn't say.

Chills coursed through him when she gently brushed the back of her right hand against his cheekbone. He shut his eyes, daring himself to drop his guard. "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go," Chloe responded, a tear running down her cheek. "Alek…"

Hearing his name escape her sweet lips was his undoing. He took a few deep breaths before throwing caution to the wind. He grabbed her small waist and pulled her against him, his lips pressing against hers, passionate and demanding, unleashing all the pent up emotions he'd been trying to hold inside with one adamant kiss. She responded with as much fervour, pushing herself toward him almost as if she couldn't get close enough. Their tongues continued the fight that they had abandoned only minutes ago, fiercely exploring, sensing, tasting. His one hand brushed against the softness of her long, straight, sunlight locks, while the other ran along her back. Alek groaned when he felt Chloe's nails dig down the skin on his back, but he relentlessly pursued the kiss he'd been dreaming of for more nights than he could remember.

By the time their lips parted, both were breathless and slightly flustered, Chloe's cheeks flushed, the light tremble in her entire body evident in the rise and fall of her shoulders.

"Princess…" he began to say, but could not continue. He stepped away from her in order to take a better look at her, taking in the sight of the light pink blush on her cheeks and the deep red swelling of her lips. _I shouldn't have done that. We could both get killed for this. And yet, why? Why does it feel so right? _"Forgive me."

"For what?" Bewilderment traced her blue eyes. Her heart was leaping at what had just happened, aching at what was to come.

Alek looked away from her. "I wish to stay here."

Chloe backed away from him. It felt as if he had just slapped her in the face. "Surely you don't mean that." He was supposed to go to Persia with her. Having him there with her was the one comfort she was drawing from the whole situation.

His entire body tensed as he slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. "You have to understand… I can't do it…"

"Can't do what? I need you there! No. You can't. You have to go with me…" She tried to calm down, breathing in and out as she regained composure. Tears began to stream down her face as she shook her head. She rarely – if ever – begged, especially to people below her social status, but she found herself making an appeal. "Alek, please…" She stepped forward, closer to him, laying one hand over his chest as if calling out to his heart to reconsider. "I won't be able to bear it without you."

The whole encounter was tearing him apart. Her sobs were cutting him to the core. It was the first time she'd ever asked anything from him. She didn't command him to go with her. Had she commanded it, he'd have no choice other than to heed to her wishes. Instead, Chloe asked. His princess asked – pleaded even. He clutched the hand she had on his chest with both hands. "I don't know how I'll be able to handle it, Chloe," he admitted. "Having to see you with him… I'm not sure I'll be able to keep myself from ripping his face off."

His voice was so low, so intense, she barely even heard it, but it dawned on her what he was saying and a sick feeling rose from the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to see him hurting, but she couldn't stand the thought of not having him around either. On the other hand, part of her aching heart leaped at the knowledge that he would actually feel that way – _that_ jealous – over her marriage to the prince. All this time, she thought it meant nothing to him. He had seemed so resigned to the idea, but then, here he was… looking absolutely broken by the thought. Not knowing what to say, she drew close to him, leaning her forehead over his shoulder.

"I want you with me, Alek," she finally whispered, her breath hot against his skin, "but I refuse to make you go against your will." She paused, not wanting to once again break into sobs. "I just have one request."

He answered breathlessly, "Anything."

"For once, forget I'm your princess and hold me. Please…" she pleaded once again, a humble gesture toward the man she longed to be with, "…just hold me."

It was a request he couldn't possibly deny her, a request he couldn't possibly deny himself. His arms wrapped around her trembling form and pulled her close to him.

As the warrior held the princess in his arms, all seemed right in the world. For a moment, they allowed themselves to feel as if they belonged together. For a moment, they allowed themselves to forget that the walls they'd just toppled over would soon create a wide chasm between them. They cherished that fleeting moment, because part of them knew that it wouldn't take long before she would once again become nothing more than the princess he served and he nothing more than the warrior she wasn't allowed to love.


	2. Don't Cross Me

**Author's Note:** _Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts! Keep 'em coming, lovelies. They inspire. :)_

**-oiOio-**

Far as the eye could see, the grand convoy stretched across the vast desert trail that would lead them from their homeland to the Persian kingdom up north. It was evident that Pharaoh spared no expense in making certain that his precious daughter's journey to Persia constitute a display of their kingdom's wealth and power. It was a miracle to behold how the procession came to somehow organize itself, considering all the litters, entertainers, soldiers, charioteers, riders, servants and slaves included in the odyssey. Most of them came to join the journey with anticipation, eager to see the legendary kingdom of Persia, elated to have been given the privilege to witness Princess Chloe's marriage to the Persian prince. It was ironic that while the vast majority of the eager travelers commenced the journey with merriment and mirth, the princess, who was supposedly the center of all the attention, was the abject picture of dejection.

Hidden from prying eyes inside the comfort of her lavish litter, filled with velvet cushions and silken sheets, Chloe's eyes remained moist with tears, her throat hoarse from crying. Flashbacks of him, his eyes, his touch, his scent, his lips haunted her every waking moment, and she was certain that her dreams would provide no escape. His voice, tinged with emotion, endlessly circled her mind. _I don't want you to go_, he admitted and hearing him say it out loud and claim her lips with such ardent passion moments later shook her to the very core. She had gone to the caravan expectantly that morning, not at all surprised by the sheer number of people that were to come along on her journey. She loved her people, but that day, the doting crowd mattered little to her. Her eyes and attention were solely focused on her search for him, and yet, it felt like ages since they left Egypt and still, he was nowhere to be seen. _He should be by my side by now._

At first, Chloe was indignant that he would dare deny her request for him to go with her. Her wounded pride, however, paled in comparison to the pain that took hold of her when it dawned on her that all she would have left of him were precious memories. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks and she couldn't help but break into painful sobs. She considered for a moment asking Jasmine if Alek really had decided not to come, but her own sense of self-respect kept her from doing so. _I've already humbled myself before him and begged him to go with me. He's made his choice and it is up to me now to come into terms with his decision._

Her most trusted handmaiden and confidant, Merte, who had taken care of her since her birth, joined her inside the litter, gently brushing a hand against her long, golden locks.

"Hush, child," Merte said soothingly. "This is not a time for tears. Why such sorrow? You're on a grand journey to meet your betrothed."

"I don't want my betrothed," Chloe shook her head, saying the word _betrothed _like it was the most despicable thing to ever come out of her lips.

Merte wondered how Chloe managed to, even in tears, still sound like a regal princess rather than a whiny child. "You've never even met him, princess. He might be a greater man than you could've ever imagined. He's the Prince of Persia, a man befitting to be the bridegroom of the Princess of Egypt."

Chloe bitterly smiled. "Why do you believe he is a man whom I ought to love and marry? Because he's a prince? Prince or not, he is nobody but a stranger who never once bothered to travel to our kingdom to ask for my hand. There is nothing romantic or beautiful about a loveless marriage, Merte. It is nothing but a business arrangement, a political strategy, an aggrandized child's tale of a prince and a princess destined to unite two kingdoms, leaving out the truth that they neither know, much less love, each other." Never one to shy away from speaking her mind, there was no hiding the resentment in her voice as she spoke the words. "I care not how great this prince is. I do not want him. He's not the man I love. He's not..." she paused and continued in a softer, more affectionate tone, "..._Alek_."

Merte sighed softly at the mention of the young warrior's name, stunned by the bold implication that he was the man the princess loved. The middle-aged woman cherished the princess like she would her own daughter. The queen allegedly died upon giving birth to the princess the same night Merte gave birth to a stillborn daughter. It was exactly a day later when Merte was employed at the palace to nurse and eventually wean the princess. Chloe became the daughter she never had and she became the mother Chloe never had. She served as the princess' handmaiden since then. She was the one person whom Chloe dared to confide in about her feelings for the warrior. At first, Merte adamantly protested against it. How could she trust a man who would send Chloe back to her chambers black and blue with painful bruises all over from training? No, she didn't much like Alek at first, but after all the times he selflessly risked his life to save Chloe, after all the moments when he would drop his warrior's façade and allowed himself to be vulnerable and show raw emotion and affection toward the princess, he had unwittingly won Merte over. _But the fact remains, _Merte thought. _They don't belong together. _"You best forget him, princess."

"That's impossible," was her curt response. _How could I forget him? _Her lips still tingled whenever she remembered that stolen moment that they shared together, that passionate kiss she didn't even realize she'd been yearning for until he wordlessly claimed it from her. Every time she shut her eyes, it was his face, his touch, his voice that would penetrate her thoughts, her heart, and her soul. _No. I will never forget. Not even if I wanted to. Not even if I tried. _After a short silence, Chloe dared ask the question she dreaded the answer to. "Has he really chosen to stay in Egypt?"

Merte's heart ached for the princess. "I'm not certain," she said truthfully. "I haven't seen him since we left the capital. Perhaps he's just somewhere…"

"If he's here, he'd be outside this litter by now," Chloe interrupted, "but he isn't, is he?"

Merte's eyes lowered – enough of an answer to Chloe's inquiry.

_He didn't even bother to say goodbye, _she thought bitterly. _Then again, would I have been able to bear such an encounter with him? _She hated goodbyes and to think of having to say it to him made her sick to her stomach. _Maybe it's for the best... _she reasoned to herself. _Perhaps that moment we shared is the best goodbye we could ever have. _No sooner did the thought escape her mind did she counter it with another. _No... being away from him is far from being what's best for me. _A now familiar pang filled her chest. It felt like something had just been ripped out of her and trampled upon before it was unceremoniously yanked back inside. _Alek, I need you..._

Saving the princess from her lovelorn reverie, Jasmine's voice came from outside the flaxen curtains that hid Chloe from the rest of the travellers. "Princess?"

"Jasmine," Chloe acknowledged her friend and mentor. "What is it?"

"Pharaoh is here to see you, your highness." The moment Jasmine finished saying the words, the litter stopped moving.

Chloe quickly tried to wipe her tears away and regain composure. Merte lost no time in making sure that not a single hair would be out of place to ready the princess to face her father. It took but a couple of breaths before Chloe peered out of the litter to see Pharaoh. Sure enough, her father was there, greeting her with a wide, affectionate, smile. She would've responded to his delight upon seeing her, but she was immediately distracted by the sight of who was behind Pharaoh. Her heart leaped. There he was, standing right next to Jasmine. _Alek._ She wanted to hug him, yell at him, hit him, kiss him, throw herself at him all at the same time. Considering the joy and relief that came over her upon seeing him, she was convinced that she could stare at him for days and be perfectly satisfied, but that would only stir them both to trouble, so she quickly averted her gaze to her father and smiled sweetly. "Father," she acknowledged him with a curt bow of reverence.

Pharaoh assisted her in getting out of the litter and onto the sandy ground. The hot sun was blazing against them and servants quickly moved to shade them with whitewashed cotton canopies and fan them with palm branches as they spoke to each other. Merte, never far from the princess, stood not too far behind her, quickly observing that the whole procession stopped its trek to allow Pharaoh to converse with his daughter.

"You look lovely, my child," he said, as he cupped his hands over her cheeks and planted a kiss on her forehead. "But you're no longer a child, are you?" He gazed down at her with affection, almost as if he was having second thoughts about letting her go.

For a moment, Chloe allowed herself to hold on to a thread of hope that her father would change his mind. Her hope was short-lived.

"You're a beautiful woman now," their tall, imposing leader expressed affectionately. "The Prince of Persia should realize that he is fortunate to have you as his bride."

Her heart sank. There was no escaping this so-called fate of hers. Out of the corner of her eye, she could sense Alek's eyes on her and knowing that he was looking at her made her spine tingle with sensations she didn't even recognize. _How must I marry this strange Persian prince with him around? _She stole a quick glance his way, wondering to herself if she would ever experience his touch again or was all she had to hold on to were the memories of him hidden away in every worthwhile crevice of her mind?

"Why so sad, my love?" Pharaoh asked, paternal concern in his eyes.

_I don't want to go to Persia. I don't want to marry this prince, _she thought and she was just about to say the words out loud when her father's brows creased at the sight of the bandage on her left shoulder. "What happened? Who's to blame for this?"

Chloe's breath hitched as she instinctively covered the wound with her palm, only to slightly hiss in pain when her hand hit the still fresh wound with more force than she intended. "It's nothing, father. It's a light scratch. It won't even scar." Her heart skipped a couple of beats after giving Alek, whose eyes were now downcast, a swift gaze.

"Alek," Pharaoh spoke sternly.

Chloe flinched at the firm mention of her beloved's name, wondering if simply glancing at Alek had somehow been a betrayal of him. Did she just let her father know that it was her protector who had caused the gash? _Bastet, how would father even know? _She looked just about ready to faint.

Anyone who saw Alek could see that he was undaunted by Pharoah's call. He stepped forward, positioning himself just one step behind the monarch. "Your majesty?"

"It's your responsibility to keep the princess unharmed and pristine for her marriage to the prince, is it not?" The words were calm and calculating, reflecting their leader's diplomatic abilities.

Alek's stomach was in knots. Being told that it was his responsibility to keep Chloe unharmed and pristine_ for her marriage to the prince _left a bad taste in his mouth. _It's my responsibility to keep her unharmed and pristine. That's it. _"Yes, your majesty. It's my responsibility," Alek nodded, quite ready to face whatever punishment the Pharaoh decided to throw his way. _I should've had more control, _he chastised himself, still remembering how awful he felt upon seeing the blood on her skin.

"Then why do I find my daughter harmed?" Pharoash asked, continuing his composed inquisition.

Chloe grimaced as she looked at Alek and panic surged within her when Alek began to open his mouth to respond. She was quite certain that he wouldn't hesitate to get himself into trouble by admitting that he caused the wound. "Don't blame this on him, father," she spoke up before any sound could come out of the warrior's lips. "I'm to blame."

Alek gave her a look that clearly asked, _What do you think you're doing?_

_Saving you from pain, fool. _She thought as she rolled her eyes at him. "I visited the training grounds yesterday morning. I was toying with one of the daggers and accidently cut myself."

Her father raised a black brow at her. "What were you doing paying a visit to the training grounds?"

Chloe and Alek exchanged anxious glances. The protocols, routines and ceremonies that came with her being the princess could be sickeningly overwhelming sometimes. Her time – her life – never seemed to be her own.

To their relief, Pharaoh did not await a response from them, but only breathed a deep sigh. "It seems you have your work cut out for you, soldier," he said, stepping backward so that he was shoulder-to-shoulder with the young warrior. He turned his gaze toward Alek. "I'm entrusting her into your hands. Make sure she reaches Persia and her prince safely."

Chloe's brows furrowed. "Father, what do you mean?" She slit her eyes. "You can't be implying that you're not coming with us, are you?"

Alek barely heard her protests. All he could think about was Pharaoh's command. _Make sure she reaches Persia and her prince… Her prince. _Alek gritted his teeth, jealousy gripping at him even as he nodded over the great responsibility that had just been thrust his way. Only that morning, he was warring with himself whether he should join the journey or not. His duty and love for her overpowering any sense of self-preservation he had, he decided to go. Before he could reach Chloe, however, he was summoned by Pharaoh and told that he was to take charge of the entire procession and Chloe's safety would be his prime responsibility. Why Pharaoh would trust him with such an undertaking was beyond Alek, but he was not about to take his king's trust lightly.

It seemed Pharaoh was as oblivious to Chloe's remarks as he was, because ignoring his daughter, he continued to address Alek. "You _will _protect her, will you not? Even from herself if necessary?"

Before Alek could respond, Chloe stepped up, fists clenched, fire blazing in her bright blue eyes. Alek drew a breath at the sight of her. _Dear Bastet, she looks magnificent when enraged._

"You can't presume to send me to Persia alone, father," Chloe protested, fury raging within her. "You would have _me_ – your _daughter_ – marry this stranger without you? Have you ever even met this man, father?" Her voice was beginning to rise along with her growing desperation.

A sorrowful expression filled her father's eyes, triggered by her enraged pleas. "There's a matter of great importance that requires me to stay in Egypt and…"

"What matter could be more important than your own daughter's wedding?" There was no mistaking the anger in her tone.

"Chloe…" The aging man looked at her softly and tried to brush his hand against her jaw.

She cringed away from his touch, shaking her head in frustration. "Have you ever even met the man you are giving me away to?" She said the words through gritted teeth, punctuating every single word to emphasize her point.

Pharaoh heaved a deep sigh before looking at her resolutely. He would not have his word questioned. Not even by his own daughter. "With or without me, Chloe, you will go to Persia and you will meet the prince." Without another word to address her, he turned back to Alek. "I trust you'll protect her?" he repeated.

Alek looked the Pharaoh in the eye, assuring him that he was a man of his word and that he would not break his lord's trust. "With my own life, your highness... I _will _protect the princess." Alek didn't want to look at her. He didn't want to see the pain in her eyes. He knew her well enough to know that she saw this as her father abandoning her, rejecting her.

The Pharaoh turned toward Chloe, held her by the shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"Father, please don't do this. Please don't go," she pleaded, inwardly chastising herself at how much pleading she'd been doing over the past few days.

He only heaved one deep sigh before saying, "I love you, Chloe." A short pause followed before he pulled away from her and said, "Goodbye."

She bit her lip, fighting back the tears, unable to believe that her own father would abandon her this way. She stood frozen as Pharaoh began to walk away from her, surrounded by his own large entourage of soldiers and servants. It wasn't long until a good chunk of the procession headed off with their leader on the opposite direction, back to Egypt.

Chloe stood on the sandy desert, watching as her father faded off into the distance. "I love you too, Papa," she whispered under her breath, hoping that the soft breeze would carry the message and take it to her father.

"Princess…" Alek's voice finally spoke from behind her. "We best be heading off. We want to find safe camping ground before night fall."

She turned toward him and began to walk back to her litter, barely noticing the handful of servants trailing after her and all the pairs of eyes set on her, awaiting her instructions on when they ought to continue their trek. Just as she was about to brush past him, she stopped right next to him, intentionally grazing her elbow against his arm.

Alek looked at her questioningly, wondering what was going on in her mind.

She pursed her lips and gave him a short huff. Chloe was known to be a bit snippy when upset, so what came out of her mouth did little to surprise him. "If you're supposed to protect me from _everything _– including _myself," _she said with flair before raising a brow at him, "who's going to protect me from _you_?"

He didn't reply immediately. He stared at her for a moment, trying to ascertain her mood. He feigned giving her question some thought. He then shrugged and leaned his head closer to her, meeting her blazing blue eyes with his soft brown ones. "Nobody, princess," he smirked. "No one can protect you from me."

She raised a brow, challenging him. "Oh?"

The full-on, arrogant smirk on his face widened as he nodded at her. "Yes, princess, which is why, out of sheer concern for your well-being, I strongly suggest…" he paused, tilted his head to the side and slit his eyes at her, "Don't cross me."

The expression on her face was something he'd seen before, a clear warning of what was to come. It was made of pure and stubborn mischief. "But what fun would this journey be if I played by all the rules?" She then continued to brush past him, but not before whispering under her breath - just enough for only him to hear, "It was killing me to think that you'd abandoned me."

He meant it when he replied in an equally low whisper, "Never, princess." _I couldn't even if I wanted to. You have me, Chloe. I'm yours._

A soft smile crossed her lips and she began clapping her hands to alert everyone to pay attention to her as if they weren't already hanging on to her every word and command. "Let's get moving," she commanded no one in particular. In a few moments after she gave her order, the caravan was once again on the move.

Alek rode a horse next to Jasmine's beside the princess' litter. He gave Jasmine a nervous glance. As if reading his mind, Jasmine nodded and said, "Something tells me she's not going to make this an easy journey."

Alek grimaced. "My thoughts exactly."

**-oiOio-**

The moment they arrived at the capital, Pharaoh didn't even bother to return to the palace. His immediate destination was the temple of the goddess Bastet, a temple that could match - if not outdo - the palace in its grandeur. Upon walking inside the grand hall of the temple, he immediately spotted the high priestess, Tatara, bowing down on the ground, humming some sort of chant. He stopped his strides a few paces behind her, not wanting to disturb whatever ritual she was doing.

He didn't have to wait long, because Tatara had been expecting him and it was obvious in the way she didn't even look his way when he arrived yet somehow knew that it was him who entered the temple. She simply knelt up from her crouched position on the ground and asked, "It's done?" before rising to her feet to face him.

He looked her over from head to foot, noting how equally beautiful and intimidating the tall, black-haired vixen was. He only nodded in response, his impatience evident. It wasn't Tatara that he came to see.

The high priestess nodded with understanding. "She's been waiting for you."

A breath escaped his lips. He'd been waiting for this day for so long – this day when he would finally see her again after all these years of pining for her. Now, the day finally came. He could see her again. He would once again be able to hold his beloved in his arms.

No words were exchanged as Tatara led him through several corridors and hallways, filled with the cloying scent of incense, before she stopped in front of a large stone door, intricately carved with prophecies written by some of Bastet's most devoted followers.

"She's inside," Tatara told him, pointing to the door.

Pharaoh held his breath, his heart thumping within him as he stepped forward and pressed his hands against the latch that opens the huge door. Upon contact, the thick slab slid open and he stepped inside. He stood frozen for a moment, shivers running through his entire body, elated by the sight before him. Just as promised, she was there – looking as young and as magnificent as the first time he laid eyes on her. Her long, blonde locks fell in waves down to her waist. The blue dress she wore was unlike anything he'd ever seen among the kingdom's most affluent aristocrats. It flowed with her every move, accenting her ethereal beauty. When she turned to face him, he drew a deep sigh, stunned by the enticing blue depths of her eyes. She smiled at him but once, and he was entirely hers. "Pharaoh," she began to say, "I trust you've done as I requested since we last met?"

He nodded quickly, quite forgetting his status as Pharaoh of Egypt. At that moment, he was simply a man stricken by such a beautiful woman. "She is on her way to Persia as we speak. The warrior you've chosen is with her." He paused before giving voice to his apprehension. "Are you certain that Tatara's ward will be able to protect Chloe?"

"Your anxiety amuses me, Pharaoh. You need not fret." The goddess Bastet made her way to him, brushing a soft hand against his cheek. "The warrior has my blessing. You have nothing to fear. Our daughter will be perfectly alright."


	3. You Have Me

**Author's Note:** _Hello you! __If you find the first part of this chapter confuses you, just stick with it. It should all come together at the end of the chapter. This is by far my favorite chapter of all the chapters I've ever written here on this fandom. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. _

_Again, thanks to **theregoesnash **whose idea about Brian for this story I completely stole. Her feedback really points me in the right direction on things I could improve in the story. To **theregoesnash, **if I ever earn money from this story (highly unlikely), I'll give you a percentage of the income. LOL. _

_Oh, and yes... to all of you, thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts!_

******-oiOio-**

It was past noon, not too long before the sun would set over the sandy wilderness. It felt as if they were leagues away from the princess' royal procession. In truth, though the convoy was mostly unaware of the fact that a handful of the travellers were no longer with them, they were going at such a sluggish pace and hadn't gone too far along the journey without the missing princess and her friends.

Caught captive by a group of marauders claiming to be warriors of Anubis, Chloe and her companions watched helplessly as Alek fought the leader of the bandit clan. Blood was trickling from the edge of his lips as well as from the ugly cut marring his right cheek. Alek glared at the much larger man, who was giving him a good pounding, even though his left eye was already swollen shut. He had done his own share of damage against his opponent, but it was easy to see that he was on the losing end of the fight. With no weapon to defend himself, he was simply out-muscled by the humongous hulk of flesh he was up against.

The tall, gruff-looking man who had challenged Alek into a fight to the death for Chloe's freedom raised a large hand and gave Alek a powerful blow.

Chloe shut her eyes before the blow could be delivered, more than certain that she heard the sound of bones break. A loud cheer erupted from the onlookers and Chloe willed herself to open her eyes. Her blood curdled at the sight of Alek's motionless body on the ground. She clung to the iron rails caging her, keeping her away from running over to him. "Alek, get up…" she uttered breathlessly, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "Please… please get up."

Jasmine stood beside the princess inside the cage, her hand over her mouth, her big brown eyes wide with shock, appalled by the scene that just unfolded before them. _Alek, get up, _her mind echoed Chloe's pleas_. _Her gut clenched at the sight of Alek's opponent hovering over him like a vulture.

The giant of a man who'd been throwing Alek around like he was nothing but a sack of wheat only moments ago was now approaching the warrior's body tentatively, trying to make sure that he'd won the battle and that his opponent was indeed dead. He kicked the young man on the side, launching Alek's limp, masculine form a few inches away.

Chloe flinched at the cruel motion, still begging… hoping against hope… that Alek would somehow jump back to life. Still, nothing happened. He remained motionless.

The man huffed and looked at his clan, all watching with bated breath, wondering if their leader had come out the victor against the strange Egyptian warrior. Alek remained unmoving and the monster of a man ran a hand against his beard before smiling. He let out a loud roar, which his clansmen responded to with chants and hoots of victory.

Chloe was clutching the iron rails so tightly, it was affecting her circulation and her knuckles were beginning to grow white. Her blue eyes remained on Alek. "No… heavens, no…" she cried. "This can't happen… Alek, get up… please get up…" She heard Jasmine sob next to her. Her mentor never cried and the fact that the strong young woman was giving way to tears did little to ease Chloe's anxiety or her conscience. Her mind was spinning, her stomach clenching, her world collapsing all around her. _He can't be dead. I can't lose him… please… _Panic was bubbling from deep within her accompanied by the sickening feeling brought about by the idea that she was about to lose Alek…

…and she had no one to blame but herself.

**-oiOio-**

Earlier that day…

Reining the black stallion to gallop at a slower pace, Alek's brown eyes shot from one clump of travellers to another, intently looking at every face he passed by in search for his lovely, albeit infuriatingly obstinate, royal ward. He swore under his breath, slightly fearful of what he might end up doing to Chloe once he finds her. _The stubborn little minx… I was a fool to think she wouldn't pull something like this. _He recalled what she said to him earlier in their journey… _But what fun would this journey be if I play by all the rules? _Alek wanted to slap himself for having been so distracted by what she said moments after, he wasn't able to predict that she would do something like this. _I should've seen this coming. _

The princess was never one to do as expected. She was known to drive both her guards and her handmaidens mad with worry over an impulsive whim or an adventurous streak that she'd somehow find the need to give in to. It had already happened several times before when Chloe would manage to slip out of their watch and roam the capital disguised as some street urchin in search for adventure or some traveller paying Egypt a visit for the first time. She didn't do it very often, but the few times that she did, it was guaranteed that she would run into some sort of trouble and Alek and Jasmine would have to help bail her out of it.

Alek groaned inside at the idea of what trouble she would manage to get herself into this time. When he questioned Merte earlier why she would allow this to happen… _again…_ Merte merely shrugged. "It's not like she asked my permission to go, Alek. She's the princess. I warn her as much as I can, but there's little I can do to keep her from doing what she sets her mind to do."

"Yes, I know that, Merte, but could you not inform us when she goes on one of these silly little escapades of hers, so we could at least watch her from a distance?"

Merte huffed. "I think being guarded all the time is exactly what she's trying to escape from."

Alek's jaw tightened. "Do you have any idea what danger she could get herself in? What if someone discovers that she's actually the princess?" Alek asked. A series of images flashed through his mind – worst case scenarios that made his blood boil just to imagine. _If anything happens to her, I couldn't live with myself. _

Again, Merte could only shrug at him in response. "I'll pray they don't find out then."

At the recollection of his conversation with Merte, Alek fought the urge to roll his eyes. He felt a lot of affection for Merte, her being the mother that Chloe never had, but by the gods, she was of no help to him most of the time. He once again looked around in hopes of seeing a stray strand of the princess' yellow hair or a streak of her blue eyes, but found himself disheartened by the inability to do so. _Why the hell did so many people join this journey? _he complained once again. _If she isn't in danger yet, she will be once I get my hands on her. _A loud neigh struck his attention and he turned his head to see Jasmine headed toward him in a quick gallop, frustration evident in her eyes.

"Any sign of her?" he asked cautiously, wary of anyone overhearing their conversation. He didn't want to cause panic amongst the caravan, which was the eventual outcome if they didn't find the princess soon.

Jasmine's expression was enough to tell him that she had no such luck. "No," she shook her head. "You'd think it'd be much easier to find her amongst a crowd, considering that her hair shines as bright as the sun."

"You can thank those bloody disguises for that," Alek grimaced. "She'd never mix with common folk donning that splendid mane of hers."

There was a short pause before Jasmine expressed just how mad she was that the princess would do this to them again by admitting through gritted teeth, "I could strangle her."

Alek smirked. "Not if I do it first," he shot back, before coaxing the horse to move forward, ahead of Jasmine. So intent in his search for the princess, he didn't notice a raven-haired, exotic young beauty slinking her way toward him.

"Looking for me, soldier?" she asked, fluttering her long lashes flirtatiously at him.

Alek turned toward the familiar voice. His reaction to seeing her was a combination of sheer nostalgia and a hint of irritation. "Mnoti?"

Jasmine gave him a pointed look. "Beware, Alek," she muttered before moving on ahead of him.

It wasn't too long ago that Alek was engaged to the young woman approaching him. Those were the days when he was brooding like a pathetic fool, sulking over how he was unworthy of the princess. For countless nights, he acted like a dismal sap, filling his bed with a string of women meant to fill the void in his life that Chloe was supposed to occupy. Of all the nameless, faceless women who served as companions during his half-crazed phase of lonely, drunken nights, Mnoti stood out enough for him to consider taking her as his wife.

_What a fool I was, _he frowned as he watched Mnoti make her way to him, her every move provocative, her hooded gaze designed to allure and seduce.

She was beautiful, yes, but she wasn't Chloe. She only served as a remnant of the past he wasn't so proud of, the past he decided to completely turn away from. She was a cold reminder that he was no valiant knight, shining with virtue, chivalrously coming to the rescue of the princess in distress. He was just like any man – flawed, broken and struggling to find a balance between honor, duty and love.

Chloe knew him for what he was. She saw him beyond all the acclaim that the kingdom of Egypt had thrown his way for all his courageous exploits. She saw beyond the mighty warrior that everyone else adored and revered. She saw who he was as a man. That brief encounter with her at the courtyard, touching her with affection and tasting those sweet lips for the first time, filled the deepest recesses of his soul in a way no other woman before her was able to accomplish.

Despite his past, which she was well aware of, she touched him like he was the most precious thing she'd ever held. She gazed at him like he was her world, her everything. How could that not move him? How could he not love her?

Mnoti, in all her beauty and sensuality, paled in comparison to his princess, and his brown eyes betrayed his disinterest when it came to the young woman before him. "What are you doing here?"

"Egypt would be no fun without you, Alek. I _had_ to come," Mnoti purred. "Besides, I wouldn't miss the princess' wedding for anything. If only to see your reaction as you watch her prince lock lips with her, it would make trekking through this god-forsaken desert completely worth my while."

Alek did not miss the acid in her words. He fought within himself to push the mental image of Chloe and her prince out of his mind. He wasn't about to let Mnoti get to him. "You already have a lot of traits that are bound to drive men away, Mnoti. Don't add bitterness to them. It's very unbecoming."

"Drive men away? I remember a time when you were pining for me, Alek," she persisted, running her fingers against his stallion's black mane.

"That time is long gone," he responded, getting quite irritated and anxious to return to his search for Chloe, but unable to do so, considering the black-haired vixen was blocking the horse's way. "I don't have time for this. Get out of the way."

She pouted. "You're not even going to say please?"

Alek groaned, playfully entertaining the idea of whether or not he should just go ahead and run the girl over.

**-oiOio-**

Chloe shifted her weight slightly on the not-too-comfortable seat provided for her by her newfound friends at the back of a horse-drawn wooden wagon. She had her hair lifted up in a tight bun and covered by a black wig. To further ensure that she won't be discovered, she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. The plain white smock she had on was made of coarse woollen fabric and it was beginning to make her skin, accustomed to silks and linens, itch, but she was having too much of a good time to really care.

Her scraggly, unkempt, peasant-like appearance – a far cry from her usual princess-like demeanour – made her fit right in with the motley crew of misfits she managed to strike a quick friendship with on her little adventure. She was specifically drawn to them, because with one glance, she could immediately tell that they were not natives of Egypt.

"I'm from a land far away," one of them introduced himself to her.

She had just struck a conversation with them after hitching a ride on the wagon they were on.

"I'm from an empire I'm certain you've never even heard of, young one," he continued with flair. "A land of emperors and dragons and…"

"…rice fields and sunsets and sunrises," the dark-haired young woman beside him drawled, rolling her brightly colored eyes. "I've heard this spiel from him before," she explained to Chloe. "His name is Ki Hong. I'm Aria."

Chloe immediately took a liking to both of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she nodded and smiled at them sweetly.

"And your name, young one?" Ki Hong asked, his chinky eyes disappearing into slits as he smiled.

"Why do you persist on calling her 'young one', Ki Hong?" Aria huffed. "She can't be any older than us."

Ki Hong's round face deadpanned and his lips formed in a slight pout. "It sounds more…" he paused, thinking up a proper word "…sagely." His face broke into another smile. "Sagely is a good word to describe my home country."

"M-hm," Aria nodded, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "That makes sense, Ki Hong. Wise and clever are good words to describe a place." Catching herself, she looked at Chloe, not having the slightest idea that she was speaking to royalty. "Apologies for our rudeness… We tend to bicker a lot. I hope this doesn't bother you. What's your name again?"

Chloe's mind raced, inwardly slapping herself for not thinking up a name beforehand. For some reason, the first image that came to her mind was that of the armlet Alek always had on and she remembered Bastet. "I'm Maia," she introduced herself.

"Interesting name… You must be devoted to the goddess Bastet. Your name is closely linked to the cat god," Ki Hong nodded as he spoke. He looked very pleased with himself that he knew so much about Egyptian mythology.

"I'm not that much of a devotee of Bastet," Chloe admitted, "but someone I care about deeply is." Alek's face flashed through her mind and as if on cue, she saw him drawing close. She held her breath, wondering if he would recognize her once he saw her. He had just ridden off after a few exchanges of words with Jasmine, both looking piqued – something Chloe was certain she had everything to do with. He was about to look her way when something else seemed to catch his attention. Chloe sat up straight to get a better look and her gut clenched when she saw his former lover, Mnoti, approaching him. _What is she doing here?_

"It's uncanny that he would have hair the shade of the sun, don't you think?" Aria asked no one in particular, giving Chloe quite the start.

"Who?" she asked feigning ignorance.

"Him," Aria emphasized, pointing a finger at Alek. "The princess' bodyguard…" Aria let out a deep sigh. "The princess is so lucky. She's on this grand journey to meet a prince of Persia and she gets to be escorted by the likes of Egypt's famed mighty warrior."

"Pfft…" Ki Hong waved a hand in the air. "Who cares about him when you have me, Aria?"

"Yes, yes, Ki Hong," Aria said, her eyes still distractedly glued to Alek. "You're wonderful."

Chloe, on the other hand, barely heard Aria and Ki Hong's snippy squabbling. She was too busy being eaten up alive by her jealousy. She was well aware of the history Alek and Mnoti shared and though at that moment, Alek was showing no sign of interest, just seeing him with Mnoti made Chloe's stomach turn with disgust. Mnoti fluttered her eyelids at Alek and it made Chloe want to jump out of the wagon and rip the unsuspecting woman's eyes out of their sockets. _Is this what he'll have to go through when I marry the prince? _she wondered to herself, the idea of marrying anyone one other than Alek making her want to vomit.

"Who do you have with you, Aria?" a baritone voice asked, effectively distracting the princess from Alek and Mnoti.

Chloe looked up to find two young men approaching them.

Aria perked up at the sight of them. "This is Maia," she introduced, waving a hand in Chloe's direction. "Maia, this is Brai and Kia."

Both young men took her hand and gave it a soft kiss. Brai was a tall brown-haired lad who was shamelessly staring at her. Kia, on the other hand, wouldn't even look at her. He looked completely distracted and slightly nervous as he hid his hands behind his cloak, anxiously shifting from one foot to another.

Ki Hong gave Brai a funny look then shot a glance at Chloe. "He seems to like you, Maia."

Brai's cheeks flushed red and his eyes widened. "Ki Hong…" he hissed.

That only served to make Ki Hong's face break into a teasing smile. "It's true isn't it? You like her!"

Not really caring about Brai or whatever crush he had going on, Chloe simply smiled at the two lads who were just introduced to her, and immediately shifted her gaze back to Alek. Her eyes widened when she realized that Mnoti was no longer there and that Alek's brown eyes were now staring straight at her. Chloe bit her lip. _I'm in so much trouble. _

As he began to approach the wagon, her heart began to thump harder, partly because she'd been caught, partly because that was Alek's normal effect on her. She then recalled… _I'm in disguise. He would never do anything to blow my disguise. _A smile crept on her lips, a smile that spelled complete and utter mischief.

When Alek finally reached the side of the wagon, he cleared his throat to get the passengers' attention.

Aria's eyes were twinkling with shock even as she gawked at him. Ki Hong was looking at him as if he was some sort of mythical creature. Brai looked irritated that someone would interrupt his failed attempts to get the new girl interested in him. Kia visibly swallowed hard at the sight of the warrior. Chloe, on the other hand, was excited to find out what Alek was about to do.

He looked straight at her. "What have you been doing?" he snapped at her. "The princess has been looking for you all morning."

Chloe couldn't keep herself from breaking into a wide smile. "Has she?" She creased her brows. "What would the princess want with someone like me?"

Alek's face fell. He was glaring daggers at her and looked just about ready to snap her neck in two. _She's going to drive me insane before we ever reach Persia. _He gritted his teeth. _Two can play at this game. _"Are you not the girl she hired yesterday? The girl who's supposed to do my every bidding?"

Before Chloe could respond, Aria practically leaped out of her seat. "Yes! That's definitely her!"

Chloe's eyes widened at Aria. "Aria! What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

"Maia, he's the princess' warrior…" Aria whispered to her in a whisper that was too excited and too loud to be considered a whisper. "If he has mistaken you for someone else, just go with it. You get to spend time with him and maybe even the princess!"

_Yes, because that's exactly what I need… spend more time with myself. _Chloe fought the urge to roll her eyes and her cheeks flushed red when she saw the glint of amusement twinkling on the corners of Alek's eyes.

The expression on the princess' face was utterly priceless and Alek was loving every moment of this diverting encounter. "So _Maia,_" he addressed her mockingly. "Are you coming or not? There's quite a thing or two… or maybe three… that I'd love to have you do for me."

"Like _what_?" Chloe snapped at him.

Alek fought the urge to laugh as he shrugged one shoulder. "Clean my feet, prepare my food… a massage would be nice… How about a kiss?"

Aria's mouth dropped wide open and she looked as if she was entirely willing to take Chloe's place. Ki Hong was still looking at Alek like he was some sort of heroic dragon slayer. Brai looked utterly defeated, accepting that he didn't stand a chance against Alek. And Kia looked as if he was about to hurl.

Chloe, on the other hand, raised a brow. "You… a mighty warrior of Egypt… would actually kiss a peasant girl like me?"

A self-satisfied smirk formed on Alek's lips. _I like this game._ "I'll take what I can get, peasant girl Maia."

Aria began coaxing Chloe forward. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go kiss him."

Ki Hong eventually managed to snap out of his moment of blank astonishment upon seeing the warrior up close and began assisting Aria in pushing Chloe to do something she actually had no problem doing.

Chloe stumbled forward, her eyes fixed on Alek, adoring how incredible he looked with the sun shining down on him, his hair – the same shade as hers – slightly tousled. The way he was looking at her was intoxicatingly alluring. She drew near the edge of the wagon and reached for him, slipping long, dainty fingers over his neck. Much to her surprise and to the surprise of her new friends, he grabbed her waist and pulled her out of the wagon, over the horse and into his lap.

"Hey, don't grab her like that," Brai spoke up in a botched attempt to act chivalrous and impress the girl, only to be given the cold shoulder by pretty much everyone.

Barely even hearing the nosey stranger, Alek whispered to her ear, just loud enough for only her to hear, "Got you, princess."

She quirked a brow, slightly disappointed, as she adjusted herself over his lap, her petite form snuggled against his armoured chest in the cramped space she found herself in. She couldn't help but chuckle. "What? No kiss?"

He grinned. "As if I would ever pass up on that." He then bent his head forward and captured her lips in his.

She could still sense his desire for her even as their lips touched, but this kiss wasn't like the first. This one was soft and gentle and less demanding and claiming than the first, but not without as much passion. The first time they kissed, it was like he was trying to make sure that she was his. This time, to Chloe, it felt like he already knew the truth that she'd known for a long time. _You have me, Alek. I'm yours._

The sweet caress of a kiss that they shared was interrupted when someone cleared her throat beside them. Their lips parted, both slightly breathless, and they turned their heads toward the sound to find Jasmine staring at them incredulously. "Really?" was all she asked, seemingly on the verge of banging their heads together.

Both Alek and Chloe broke into giggles, much to the confusion of their newfound friends.

"What's happening?" Ki Hong mouthed to Aria, and Aria shrugged in response. Brai, on the other hand, had returned to his seat, looking like he just lost a fortune.

"Jasmine, I found Maia," Alek retorted.

That only earned him a glare from his best friend, a glare that clearly said, "Who's Maia?"

Chloe gripped Alek's arm and he turned to her to find panic etched on her beautiful face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"My ring…" she responded, searching her person for one of her most treasured possessions. "My mother's ring… it's gone. I was wearing it on my finger and now it's gone."

Alek groaned and looked at the wagon. He immediately noticed that someone was missing from the group. "Who was that other boy you were with? Where is he?" he demanded.

Aria and Ki Hong exchanged glances before noticing that Kia was no longer with them. "His name is Kia. He just joined us this morning. We don't really know him," Aria explained so quickly, it almost sounded like she said all the words all at once. Ki Hong nodded in agreement, looking quite unnerved by Alek's agitation.

Alek's jaw clenched. He turned toward Jasmine. "Take the princess," he commanded in a low voice.

"Alek…" Chloe began to protest.

"Go with her!" he bellowed at her. This wasn't just any ring Chloe was missing. It contained the royal seal. Should anything happen to her father, it would be one of the few possessions she had that could prove her claim to the throne.

Stunned that Alek would so adamantly order her to do something, Chloe momentarily forgot that she was the princess and immediately complied with his command, reaching for Jasmine who helped her get from one horse to the other.

Within moments after he was sure that Chloe was secure with Jasmine, he growled, "Stay here," before having the horse gallop around in search of the thief. It didn't take long for him to see the boy quite a distance away from the caravan, stumbling through the sandy dunes, making a run for it. He chased Kia, oblivious of the commotion behind him.

It didn't take long for him to catch up with the lad. He grabbed the back of Kia's cloak with one hand. Kia struggled against his hold and managed to pull Alek out of his horse. Both lads stumbled to the ground. Kia attempted to stand up and make another run for it, but Alek was stronger and quicker and was easily able to subdue him. With Kia lying flat on the ground and Alek's dagger against his throat, it seemed the struggle was already over.

"Where's her ring?" Alek hissed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kia responded, stuttering even as he said the words.

"Where's the ring?" Alek repeated, louder and more menacing this time.

Intimidated by the much more seasoned warrior, Kia looked like he was just about to give up and betray the whereabouts of the ring, but a smile eventually crept on his lips. "Look around you, soldier."

Alek looked up and found a large group of men beginning to surround him. His heart stopped midbeat when he saw that they had Chloe. Not only her, they also had Jasmine and the two other travellers Chloe was with on the wagon. Apparently, they didn't quite understand what he meant by "stay here" and followed after him. Alek groaned.

One of the men stepped up and pointed a dagger against Chloe's throat. "Let my son go or she dies."

Alek clenched his fists, hating the sight of sharp steel against the pale skin on her neck. He wondered to himself if they were aware that she was actually the princess.

"It's strange that a warrior like you would chase after a thief to retrieve some peasant girl's belongings," the man who was holding a dagger to Chloe remarked. "Shouldn't you be watching over someone more important… like the princess?"

There was no doubt in Alek's mind that the large man was actually the group's leader. He stared down at Kia, expecting to find arrogance, but only found remorse. Confused by the lad's reaction he turned his eyes toward Chloe. His heart ached at the sight of her in danger. He clutched the hilt of his dagger tighter before sighing and letting Kia go.

Kia immediately got up and scrambled toward his companions.

Alek stood up, straightening himself to his full height. "My duty is to the people of Egypt. Peasant girl or princess, everyone deserves justice."

The large, scraggly man chuckled. "Noble words, boy. Tell you what… we've been lacking some entertainment lately. If you want your peasant girl and her friends back, let's head back to our camp and settle all this with a fight. If you manage to live, you and your friends get to go home alive and well. You can even have whatever my son stole from you back."

Alek tensed even as he asked the question. "And if I die?"

A wicked grin crossed the bandit's face. "Let's put it this way, soldier: You don't want to die."

**-oiOio-**

_He can't be dead. I can't lose him… please… _Panic was bubbling from deep within her accompanied by the sickening feeling brought about by the idea that she was about to lose Alek…

…and she had no one to blame but herself.

Alek's opponent looked at them and smiled. "Seems the fight is over."

Chloe's heart sank. Both Jasmine and Aria were in tears and Ki Hong simply looked dazed.

Some of the men began to approach Alek's unmoving profile and from the looks of it, they were motioning to pick him up from the ground.

Chloe was losing all hope until she saw it… a flicker of hope. Alek began to move one of his fingers. "Don't touch him!" Chloe screamed. _Dear Bastet… please… please spare him…_

"You're giving us orders, peasant girl?" the leader asked.

Questioning her own sanity, Chloe pulled her cloak down before grabbing her wig and tossing it to the ground. "I said don't touch him."

A hushed silence filled the place when the men realized who it was that they had just captured.

"It's the princess!" one of them stated the obvious.

All eyes were on Chloe, most of the bandits gawking at her, Aria and Ki Hong looking at her like she had somehow transformed into a goddess.

Jasmine looked horrified. _What is she doing? Who knows what they'd do to her? They could keep her here in order to get a ransom from Pharaoh… Heavens, have mercy… What is she thinking?_

"Let me and my friends out of here or I assure you… I will bring the wrath of the entire Egyptian army down on you and you will regret the day you ever laid eyes on me," Chloe threatened.

The leader of the clan eventually nodded toward one of his men and they opened the cage that entrapped the princess. The moment they were free, all four ran toward Alek.

Chloe was the first to reach his side. "Alek, please…" was all she could say as he gently caressed his hair. She wiped the blood from his brow. "Please… I can't lose you."

To her relief, he began to cough out loud.

_He's alive… Thank the heavens… he's alive._

The giant stepped forward. "Seems the fight isn't over yet."

Chloe glared up at him. "Oh, it's over. I believe your deal with him was that if he lives, we all go free. He's alive."

"But so am I, princess," the man insisted.

"Father," Kia stepped up, looking remorsefully at Chloe. "Let them go." He then moved toward Chloe and handed her the ring. "I apologize for this."

Chloe could only frown at him. "Don't let this happen again." She then looked at Kia's father. "You should listen to your son more often."

Within moments, Alek's beat-up profile hung over Jasmine and Chloe's shoulders as they walked out of the bandits' camp. Ki Hong and Aria trailed behind, wondering to themselves how they had gotten out of that mess in one piece. Unlike them, even in his broken, pained state, Alek didn't need to wonder how Chloe had gotten them out of the mess that she had gotten them all in. He knew that there was something about Chloe, something about her that made people trust her. She had a certain authority about her that could frighten and bring to submission even the toughest warriors. Alek couldn't explain it. He just knew that Chloe wasn't like any other human he'd met before. She was so much more.

**-oiOio-**

The starlit sky loomed over the vast desert expanse and the Egyptian camp had finally settled for the night. Everyone was silent inside the comfort of their tents and sleeping areas, grateful for a good night's rest after such a hard day of travel.

Chloe tossed and turned in her bed, unable to gain a wink of sleep. All she could think of was Alek, whom she had to leave with the healers, after Merte insisted that she finally get herself refreshed and settled for the night. Chloe was well aware that it was far into the night and that he would most likely be sound asleep, but she felt deeply unsettled, so she eventually relented to her desire to be with him and got off the bed.

To her surprise, the moment she opened the flap of her tent to breathe in the fresh night air, she found Alek standing guard outside her tent.

"Alek?" she tentatively asked, looking up at him, surprised over how fast his wounds seemed to be healing. She gently touched his elbow and looked into his brown eyes.

The longing she saw there took her aback.

"We belong together," he said before holding her waist and pulling her in for another kiss.

Tears began streaming down her eyes as she returned his advances, pushing herself against him, responding with as much yearning to the longings he was letting her know he felt. The tears she was shedding were the result of relief and sadness, happiness and yearning, the bittersweet aftermath of loving someone the way she loved him and feeling like there was a monstrous gap keeping them apart.

When their lips parted, Chloe drew herself closer to him, breathing in his scent, remembering the sickening feeling that she felt when she thought she'd lost him forever. She revelled on how right it felt to have his arms around her, to hear him admit out loud what they both knew all along.

She nodded. "Yes, we belong together." The softness in his eyes as he lovingly caressed her face, wiping her tears away, made her melt inside. She didn't have the slightest idea what it did to him just to hear her say what she said next. "I want to be yours, Alek. You have me." Without another word, she intertwined her hands with his and pulled him inside her tent.

She lied on her bed, looking up at his soft brown eyes. He moved over her, breath-taken by her beauty. That night, both surrendered to the other. That night, they made what was already true official. She became his and he became hers.

On that night and all the nights that would follow, it didn't matter what life would throw their way, they knew that they would always belong together.

**-oiOio-**

**Author's Note:** _Well, there you go... __my The Princess & the Warrior twist on TNLOCK's Dogs of War episode.__Come on... Must I beg for a review? Begging here. LOL. Seriously though... I'm dying to hear your feedback on this chapter, so let me know, okay? Leave a review. :)_


	4. Be Strong For Me

**Author's Note: **_Those reviews = awesome. I wasn't able to reply to all of you, but I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of those reviews. _

_To **Aya Ml, **I always love seeing your reviews so getting two for one chapter was a special treat. :) To everyone reading this, go sign the petition to revive the show and hopefully change the ending into Chalek goodness! (Saying that to myself too. Go sign the petition, Ivane). _

_To **Marionette, **I am so glad you eventually got to leave a review. That review was major encouragement. I can't even explain it. It came at a time when I was being a pathetic, emo writer and going, "I don't want to write anymore. No one likes my stories," and then I saw your review and well, now, I just feel silly about the whole thing. _

_To **skye0717, **your reviews are such a treat! It's like you know exactly what I want to hear... even when you're throwing criticism my way. I had to blush when you pointed out the parallels of this story to the Guardian. I hadn't noticed. _

_To those of you reading this, favoriting this and alerting this, thank you so much. _

_To those of you wondering if I'm still ever going to update The Guardian and The Scrapbook, yes I will update those stories... eventually. I just need to run after my muse and get this story out of my head first. Anyway, enough of my speech... be forewarned: this is one slightly sappy, kinda cheesy chapter. Hope you still like it though._

**-oiOio-**

She was once just a dream, a star he didn't know how to reach. Now, the princess was the warrior's and he was hers and Alek didn't want to have it any other way.

It was early morning, just before the sun even reared the first few rays of daylight. He remained awake, treasuring every moment that he had her in his arms. He brushed a stray strand of her hair away from her face, enjoying the sight of her peaceful slumber. His heart skipped a couple of beats – like it always did – when he realized once again just how much she meant to him. He knew that he'd won her heart and he was committed to treasuring her for the rest of his life, yet hard as he tried to shove them away, doubts began to assail his mind as the implications of what they had just done began to sink in. _What happens now?_

Her eyes slowly blinked open and those beautiful blue irises of hers settled on him. A sweet smile broke into her lips as she gazed at him with affection.

Whenever Chloe looked at him that way, it always left him undone. He caught his breath as he lovingly brushed a thumb against her shoulder blade, just above the now healing wound that he had caused on her arm. He mulled over how much he loved the feel of her skin against his before looking into the depths of those lovely, blue eyes of hers. "Good morning, princess."

A soft pink blush covered her cheeks. "Good morning, soldier."

They gazed, caressed and blushed, not quite finding any words to say until reality began sinking in to both of them. A chilling silence filled the confines of the royal tent as both of them got lost in their own thoughts, both stealing glances at each other every few moments or so. No words were spoken, but both knew all too well what was going on in the other's mind, because they were certain that the same thoughts were brewing in theirs. Unanswered questions, each bringing with it a reason for apprehension, circled their minds. _What have we done? What will this mean? What are we going to do now? Do we run? Do we go on to Persia and proceed as planned? Is this it? Should we just be grateful that we were able to share this moment? Accept that it could never happen again?_

Something painful gripped at Chloe's heart at that last thought. _How could I ever live that way? _She ran a hand up his bare torso, sensing him draw another breath. Despite all the questions riddling their minds, whenever they exchanged a glance or shared a caress, it felt as if they were right where they belonged, and Chloe knew that given the chance, she would've done it all over again.

"Do you regret what we did, Chloe?" Alek broke the silence, voicing out his apprehensions.

Her eyes looked away, downcast, showing that the question wounded her. "How could you ask me that?" she asked softly.

Hearing the hurt in her voice made him instantly regret asking the question.

She brushed a soft hand against the healing bruise on his cheekbone, a reminder of the fight he had to endure because of her whimsical misadventures. "How could I regret something so beautiful? I could never regret this," she assured him. "I will never regret being with you. I love you, Alek."

He knew it was true. Her actions spoke it clearly enough, but to hear her say it out loud made his world spin. _She loves me. The princess loves me. _"You've no idea how much I love you, Chloe," he responded with conviction as he moved to plant a kiss on her forehead, before asking the question he was dreading to hear the answer to, "but what happens now? Where do we go from here?"

Chloe swallowed hard. She didn't have an immediate answer to the question that she was asking herself. "I don't know," she replied truthfully, tears beginning to moisten her eyes.

"Please don't cry," he pleaded, wiping the tears away with his fingers before they could even fall to her cheeks. "It always hurts to see you cry." He drew her close. He breathed deeply. He wanted to assure her, to let her know that all would be fine, that they'd figure out a way to be together, but he didn't know that everything would be fine, he didn't know if they could truly figure things out. And he didn't want to lie to her. So both sought comfort in silence.

They savoured what few moments they had left before the first break of light, lingering in each other's arms until the very last minute when they both knew that they had to get up and get dressed for the journey ahead.

Alek fastened his loincloth over his waist as he watched Chloe pull the light blue linen dress over her form. He walked to her and pulled her back against his chest, breathing into the back of her neck, loving her scent. "We could run," he suggested, hesitation evident in the way his voice trembled as he said the words.

Her shoulders sagged beneath his touch. "I want to," she twisted around to face him. She gazed up at him and stared into those brown eyes, ablaze with emotion. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I want to." She pressed her lips against the small scar below his right shoulder, and then tiptoed in order to form a trail of kisses from there to the nook of his neck. "I don't want to marry him."

"Then let's do this, Chloe." Desperation rang through his voice, but his statement lacked conviction and she could tell.

She knew him and herself well enough to know that they both had a strong sense of honour and duty and though she loved him all the more for making the suggestion, she also knew that neither of them could live with themselves knowing the consequences of taking such a drastic recourse. "I love you so much, Alek. And as much as I want to be selfish and abandon everything, what about my love for my father? What about our love for our people? If we run, we'll be happy together. I know it, but how about them?" she said with such conviction, it broke his heart. "How many people will Persia destroy just so we could be happy? Can our love survive such a foundation of selfishness?"

A lone tear ran down his eye and down his tightly clenched jaw. He shut his eyes when her soft caress wiped the tear away. They both knew that the choice was out of their hands. For the first time in a long time, Alek felt helpless. He wanted to be selfish when it came to her. He wanted to fight for her, but fight what? Fight who?

They didn't need to speak the words. They just naturally fell back into the mould that the world had set for them. She was his princess and he was her warrior and Alek knew that he would stand by her no matter what happens. He had been there for her as the princess of Egypt and though it would tear him up inside every time he saw her with that stranger of a prince, he would remain by her side as the princess of Persia, praying earnestly that he would somehow find enough consolation in the knowledge that her heart was his and his alone.

**-oiOio-**

The gates of the Persian capital slowly came into view. The Egyptian guests were to camp outside the city gates for the night and on the morrow, a royal convoy from the Persian palace was going to come for the princess and take her to the palace where she would finally meet the prince. Rumors were being spread that the palace had a lavish parade prepared in honor of the prince's Egyptian bride. A sense of marvel and excitement filled the journeymen, save for Chloe and Alek, both of whom could only feel dread.

All Chloe could think of as she watched the grand city beginning to unfold before her was how she would manage to steal a few moments with her beloved before the events that would inevitably unfold the next day. _I must see Alek tonight. _

Since that first night in her tent, she and Alek created one devious way after another in order to spend some time together, taking all the help they could get from their friends to pull it off.

At first, Merte was aghast upon finding the blood stains on Chloe's sheets the morning after that first tryst with Alek. She swore discretion regarding the matter, but, worried sick over the princess, she made it clear that she wasn't very happy about Chloe's continued relationship with Alek; however, she was never really able to deny any of the princess' requests, so she often ended up being their accomplice.

Apart from Merte, Aria and Ki Hong also proved to be a great help to the star-crossed lovers. Of course Alek was far from thrilled that they seemed to always be following him around, but he couldn't complain much about it because Chloe developed a particular fondness to them. Aside from that, their wagon or tent often served as Alek and Chloe's rendezvous spot, with Chloe usually disguised as Maia, whom a lot of people were beginning to recognize as Alek's mysterious lover.

Ever the voice of reason, it was Jasmine who refused to lend a hand in their dangerous liaison, often chastising Alek for his carelessness.

"This has to stop, Alek. What are you thinking?" she demanded, once again confronting him about his relationship with the princess. "She's about to get married to the prince. Pharaoh tasked you to make sure that she is safely brought to the prince, and now you… you…" Jasmine threw her hands in the air, revealing her agitation. "You could die for this!"

"I know that, Jasmine…" Alek reiterated, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck, his mind reeling. "I just… I love her."

"Damn it, Alek…" Jasmine grimaced, her hands over her hips. She was fighting the urge to roll her eyes at his profession of love. _Of course you love her. It doesn't change the fact that you cannot be with her._ She breathed a deep sigh. "This isn't going to stop, is it? You'll continue seeing her as long as you could get away with it, won't you?"

Alek bowed his head, enough indication that that was exactly what he and Chloe intended to do.

"This is madness." Jasmine shook her head. "This could lead to death – yours _and _hers."

Fury sparked in his brown irises and a firm-set determination covered his face. "I'll do everything in my power to keep that from happening," he said resolutely. "No harm will befall her. I swear my life on it."

"Empty words, Alek," Jasmine shot back. Though moved by his passionate resolve, it didn't change the truth that he was treading on dangerous waters. It made Jasmine sick with worry over the young man whom she considered a dear friend and brother. "You can't do anything to protect her if you're dead. And that's exactly what you'll be if either Egypt or Persia discovers what you've done. Both kingdoms will have your head."

"That's why no one can find out, Jasmine. I need you to be with me on this." Alek stepped forward, closer to her, desperation ringing in his voice.

"I want to slap you right now, Alek. Hopefully to knock some sense into you, but I doubt it will do either of us any good. I can't support you in this. It's insanity," her shoulders sagged in defeat as she shook her head, "but I would never do anything to harm you. No one will find out… not from me at least."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Thank you, Jasmine."

She looked at him square in the eye. "Don't make me regret this, Alek."

Alek nodded, feeling a lot less confident than he sounded when he responded with, "You won't."

As they rode closer and closer to the city, Jasmine kept running that conversation with Alek through her mind, wondering what it would be like to feel for someone the way Alek felt for Chloe – to love someone so unreachable with the kind of love that he possessed for the princess. Her heart reached out to Alek, but more than that, she feared for him.

Lost in her reverie, she was quite surprised when the booming sound of horses' hooves echoed amidst the royal convoy. Jasmine creased her brows and straightened her back, alerted by the arrival of one of their soldiers and a man dressed in Persian garb. It could be quickly deduced just by the way the man held himself that he was a person of note and not to be disregarded.

The guest was being guided by one of the Egyptian soldiers belonging to a lower rank than Jasmine. Their horses slowed down and the Egyptian soldier approached the princess' personal guard, slightly ahead of the foreigner.

"A messenger from the prince wishes to see the princess," he explained to Jasmine.

Jasmine raised a brow, her eyes darting around for Alek. He was nowhere to be seen. He'd asked for a break earlier that afternoon, but Jasmine figured that he should've returned by then. Returning her attention to the soldier, she cast one glance at the man she figured was the prince's ambassador and said, "Let me speak with him first."

The soldier nodded and began talking to the Persian dignitary. Within moments, the man approached her.

Jasmine eyed him warily as he pulled the hood of his white cloak away from his head, revealing a mass of dark brown curls. He raised his brown eyes and looked at her before a wolfen grin formed on his face. "I am Zahan, the prince's emissary. I was sent to speak with the princess." He handed her a rolled-up piece of parchment with what appeared to be the royal seal of the Prince of Persia.

Jasmine opened the message and read its contents, looking at the man once again. She nodded. "Just a moment, my lord…" She bowed her head slightly to acknowledge the man appropriately. She then made her horse move toward the princess' litter. When she peeked inside, her face fell.

Only Merte was there.

**-oiOio-**

Aria's hands were cupped below her chin, her knees supporting her elbows as she cast a lovelorn gaze at the two lovers snuggled against each other on a corner of the wagon covered by a halfway canopy. Their foreheads were pressed softly together, their eyes downcast as they revelled in each other's touch. Ki Hong sat beside her on the part of the wagon that was uncovered, an animated expression on his face as he studied the bejewelled dagger that he had somehow talked Alek into lending him.

"Look at them, Ki Hong," Aria cooed. "To watch them is beautiful and sad at the same time. It just breaks my heart."

Ki Hong momentarily gave her a perplexed glance before returning his attention to the dagger, swinging it in the air several times, before breaking into a smile, appearing very pleased with himself. He then sighed and stared at Alek and Chloe's direction. "They'll be alright," he nodded resolutely.

Aria creased her brows. "How can you say that? They're so in love with each other and yet they can't be together. How is that alright?"

The young Chinese man frowned as he perused the couple, hands intertwined, seemingly unable to get enough of each other. "Looks to me like they're very together right now…"

"You know what I mean, Ki Hong…" Aria slightly moaned. "She's to meet her prince tomorrow. Today is like their last day together. After today, it would be even more difficult than it already is for them to be together."

Ki Hong stared for a while as if giving what Aria said some thought. He then shrugged and nodded. "They'll be alright." Like a little boy given a toy, he then returned his attention to the warrior's intricately-made dagger.

Aria, on the other hand, reverted her gaze from Alek and Chloe to the young man that she loved, seemingly lost in wonderment over why on earth she was in love with Ki Hong.

After a while, he noticed the strange look she was shooting her way and returned her gaze. "What?"

She looked at him pointedly as if to say that he should already know why she was glaring at him.

Ki Hong rubbed a hand against her back as if to assure her. "Love conquers all, Aria. They'll be alright."

Aria let out a bittersweet sigh. "I hope you're right, Ki Hong."

Oblivious to the two travellers gawking at them, Alek and Chloe could practically feel each other's hearts breaking.

She placed a soft kiss on the edge of his lips before whispering into his ear, "I need you to be strong for me, Alek."

His grip around her waist tightened the moment the words escaped her lips. He drew her close, wanting the moment to last forever. "I don't know if I can, Chloe," he admitted. He was barely able to sleep a wink the night before, his dreams plagued by images of her and this faceless prince. It felt like he was losing her and he doubted that he could bear the weight of always being with her, guarding her like he always did, but never being able to touch her the way he was holding her then. "I'm so in love with you."

"Alek…" was all she could say, fighting back the tears. A moment of silence ensued before she threw her arms around his neck and held tight, her breath hot against his ear as she gasped the words out, "I love you so much."

He held her hips and pulled her into his lap before claiming her lips, tempted to run a hand over her soft locks, but remembering just in time that this was Maia he was with and that revealing her golden hair would compromise them both.

It was this passionate kiss between them that was beginning to unfold when the wagon slowed down and came to a full stop. Alek and Chloe straightened themselves out, quickly moving over to sit with Aria and Ki Hong. Within moments, two people climbed into the wagon before it proceeded in its bumpy trek to the Persian capital.

All four friends swallowed hard upon realizing who the new passengers were. It was Brai and Mnoti.

**-oiOio-**

"Again?" Jasmine asked Merte through gritted teeth upon realizing that Alek and the princess were now on one of their disguised rendezvous.

Merte smiled sheepishly and nodded.

_Great, _Jasmine thought. _Now what am I gonna do with this man? _She returned the litter's linen coverings in place and went back to the Persian emissary. She cleared her throat before lifting her brown eyes to meet his. "My lord, the princess is tired from the journey and does not wish to see anyone until we've settled in camp. She wishes to speak with you during supper tonight. I hope this is to his lord emissary's liking?" Her voice broke as she said her last sentence, her heart pounding within her.

Zahan's eyes raked her profile from head to foot and then back again, as if to size her up. "No, it is not to my liking; however, I cannot demand to seek the princess' immediate audience, can I?"

Jasmine gulped and nodded, unnerved by the flutter in her stomach when she noticed how he was looking at her.

The messenger's jaw tightened before heaving a sigh. "Very well then. I will comply with her highness' wishes. I will ride with you to camp at the city outskirts and meet with her at her convenience."

The fact that he appeared thoroughly displeased did little to calm her down. Hoping to get rid of him, so she could start hunting Alek and Chloe down, having a fairly good idea where they were, she offered a hand of hospitality to their guest. "Shall we have a litter prepared for you, my lord? Perhaps it would be more convenient for you to travel through one until we reach the…"

He shook his head before she finished her offer. "I prefer to ride with you until we reach camp." He once again gave her a look over as if trying to ascertain what exactly she was. "Who am I speaking to exactly?"

Jasmine swallowed hard, wondering how it would be possible for Chloe to return undetected by this man. _If my heart doesn't fail me before I see them, I don't care if she's the princess and I don't care if he's twice as strong as I am. I'm going to kill them both._ "I'm one of the princess' personal guards. Jasmine… My name is Jasmine."

Zahan eyed her for a few moments. "Jasmine," he nodded. "The name suits you. I'm surprised that a beauty like you is the princess' warrior instead of…" he paused, wondering to himself where to place her "…one of her handmaidens perhaps?"

Quite forgetting the uncomfortable predicament she was in, Jasmine raised a brow, incensed. "Why so, my lord? Is it because I'm a woman?" she hissed. All her life, she'd had to defend her status as the princess' protector. It simply wasn't a thing often seen in Egypt or in any other kingdom and Jasmine always felt as if she had to give reason for her choices.

"Have I offended you, Jasmine? I truly meant no offense." Zahan smiled in an attempt to appease her. "It's just that I couldn't help but wonder what you would look like in a dress rather than an armor."

Despite her irritation, Jasmine's cheeks flushed red, flustered by his smile and his honey-soaked words. Momentarily forgetting that the campgrounds were drawing near and she was still guarding a litter with no princess inside it, Jasmine found herself loosening up around the Persian. "You can trust, sir, that whether in armor or in a dress, I could still manage to beat you in a swordfight."

Zahan chuckled, pleased by her brazenness. "Beware what you say, lovely warrior. I just might take you up on that challenge."

Jasmine looked his way and once again found herself blushing at the way his brown eyes seemed glued to her. Not used to getting this sort of attention from men, Jasmine averted her gaze, wondering why her heart kept skipping beats. She forced herself to remain focused and think through the situation at hand. She saw the city walls getting larger and larger ahead of them and reality sank in. _How am I going to explain a missing princess to the prince's messenger? _She once again gulped. _Alek… Chloe… where are you? _

**-oiOio-**

Alek's entire body tensed at the sight of Mnoti. He had no idea who she was with, but her presence in the wagon unnerved him. Upon their arrival, Chloe managed to quickly pull the hood of her cloak over her head and cover her face with a veil, so that only her eyes could be seen. A nobleman's daughter, Mnoti had spent enough time in the royal court to recognize the princess when she saw her and the fact that her gaze seemed intently fixed on Alek's alleged new lover made the situation all the more edgy.

"Mnoti," he acknowledged the young woman as he squeezed Chloe's hand to try and assure her.

Mnoti leaned against the wagon's wooden rail. "I always thought you a fool for leaving me, Alek," she said with unmistakable snark. "It was rather pathetic to see you pining after the princess, entertaining the delusion that you could ever be with her."

This time, it was Chloe's hand that was squeezing his to try and assure him.

"But now, it seems you're an even greater fool, because you've actually replaced me with…" she eyed Chloe's guise disgustedly "…_this_. Why do you cover your face, girl? Are you somehow deformed?"

"What I do with my life and who I spend it with is no longer your business, Mnoti," Alek asserted, hoping to get her of their back.

"I want to see her. I want to see the peasant you've replaced me with," Mnoti demanded, her eyes slitted at Chloe.

Chloe was beginning to fidget on her seat, made uncomfortable by Mnoti's scrutiny.

Alek's jaw tightened. It was taking all his self-control to keep himself from lunging at Mnoti and knocking her out.

"Her name's Maia," Brai spoke up. "She supposedly works for the princess."

Mnoti raised a brow. "I know every single one of the princess' handmaidens. Not one of them is named Maia."

Left out in the rather uncomfortable conversation, Ki Hong nudged Aria on the side and pointed to the city walls where they would be camping for the night.

Catching what Ki Hong was trying to say, Aria frowned, nervously glancing at the princess. _They'll be looking for her by now._

It seemed Alek was also aware of the city walls' proximity, because he began pounding on the side of the wagon to request it to halt. "Neither Maia nor I owe you an explanation, Mnoti." He looked Chloe's way and said, "Let's go," even as the wagon slowed to a stop.

Incensed, Mnoti stood up. "You forget your place, Alek. I am a nobleman's daughter and you are just a soldier. I order you to show me her face."

Chloe was desperately trying to keep herself in check. She had to continue reminding herself that in that moment, she was Maia and not the princess. It helped how aware she was of the rage that was now building up in Alek, because it made her concentrate on trying to keep him from doing something he might regret instead of focusing on her own anger. She held his arm to find his muscles tensed and she gently brushed her fingers against his skin to try and calm him down. Her heart skipped a beat when Alek rose to his full height, fists clenched, glaring daggers at Mnoti.

"Or you'll do _what_, Mnoti?" he challenged her. "What's pathetic is even after a year of our engagement ending, you're still desperately chasing after a mere soldier like me. I've had enough of this," he huffed. He turned toward Ki Hong and Aria. "Thanks for your hospitality. We best take our leave now." He then grabbed Chloe's arm and pulled her upright. "Let's go, Chloe."

Suddenly, Brai surged forward and hit Alek on the face. "Didn't I tell you not to grab her that way?"

Alek barely flinched when hit by the young man, who remained to him a total stranger. He flexed his assaulted jaw, furrowed his brows at Brai and scowled before pushing the young man to the wagon's floor. "Who _are you_?" was all he managed to say. He then looked at Chloe. "Do you know this boy?"

Chloe looked at Brai, vaguely remembering his name. Not seeing any reason to tell Alek about the lad's crush on her, she just shook her head in response.

Brai motioned to get up, but quickly hesitated when Alek pointed a finger at him.

"Attack me again and, by the gods, I swear it... I will rip your throat off," Alek threatened, effectively intimidating the stranger. He then took Chloe's hand and led her out of the now fully-halted wagon.

Distracted by the commotion caused by whoever Brai was, Alek failed to see the look of shock on Mnoti's face. He neglected to realize the name that he called the princess by when he pulled her up to leave.

His words echoed in Mnoti's ear long after they'd disappeared. _Let's go, Chloe. _As Mnoti left the wagon, barely even thanking Brai, who'd been her accomplice in getting there, the revelation slowly sank in. _Alek's new lover is no peasant girl. Maia is Chloe. Maia is the princess._

**-oiOio-**

**Author's Note:** _Well, there you have it... One chapter to go... I think. O_o This story is a beast with a life of it's own I tell you. Anyway, things are heating up... I think, so uhm, leave a review!_


	5. You Offend Me

**Author's Note: **_Sorry for not having updated for quite sometime. Life does get in the way and I've been trying to gather up inspiration to continue the stories, but can't seem to quite get it. Anyway, I know I said this would be the last chapter, but well... it isn't. _

_Warning: This chapter has a time skip. The next chapter will explain what happened before and after this scene. :)_

* * *

His golden crown glinted against the firelight as Prince Xerxes sat slumped on the large, golden throne in the middle of the room. His elbow was laid over the arm of the emerald-studded seat, and he had an expression of complete and utter boredom in his handsome face. He eventually caught sight of one of the ladies-in-waiting – a lovely red-headed maiden – and he winked at her, a snide smirk forming on his full lips. She blushed.

Alek wanted to snap both their necks in two. She wasn't the first woman he caught the prince making eyes with in the little time that the Egyptian warrior spent standing in the prince's court. Alek was standing amongst the cluster of onlookers who were important enough to stand witness to the prince and princess' first meeting. Had he been given a choice, he would've preferred to be with Chloe, guarding her like he should. However, the prince explicitly commanded that no man be around his bride-to-be before she is presented to him. Thus, he was standing in the lavish hall supported by giant bejewelled pillars, forced to watch as the woman he loved was brought before the brat that was seated on the throne.

Having noticed the look on the soldier's face, Zahan stepped beside Alek. "Surely you understand that his highness has a harem of his own. The princess will be his queen, but she will not be the only woman who would share his bed."

Alek's jaw tightened. The idea made him feel sick. _She deserves better than this. Heaven knows I've had my own trysts with women – most of which I deeply regret – but that this philanderer of a prince would so blatantly flirt with women on the day he is to meet his princess… _His gut clenched. _She's _my _princess_. Despite his misgivings, in a feat of diplomacy, he still managed to nod and respond to the diplomat with considerable grace, "I understand, my lord."

"Do you really?" Zahan raised a brow, pushing the matter, testing the young warrior.

Alek turned his head to the side to meet the emissary's questioning look. "Yes, my lord. I do understand. However, suffice it to say that I am not very happy about it."

A calculating smile crossed Zahan's face. "You're but a soldier. What does it matter what you are happy and unhappy about?"

His ego – wounded by the words – was beginning to give way to his anger. Alek's left hand formed into a tight fist while his right hand gripped at the hilt of his sword. He breathed a few short sighs – an attempt to calm himself down. "You're correct, my lord. I'm but a soldier, which is why I find it strange that you would find the need to explain to me the prince's actions. Surely a mere soldier like me doesn't warrant such an explanation." This time, it was Alek's turn to cast Zahan a calculating smile. "Besides, I would think that you of all people, sire, ought not to look down on soldiers like me."

The muscles on Zahan's jaw tensed. "What are you implying, soldier?"

Alek faced forward, averting his gaze from the nobleman, his lips curling up in a sideward grin, before opening to once again respond. "I've seen the way you look at Jasmine, my lord. It does not take a scholar to realize you think the world of a mere soldier like her."

Despite his station, Zahan's cheeks momentarily flushed a light pink. "I know not what you're talking about."

Alek smirked as he cast a sideward glance at the emissary. "Sure you don't."

Zahan's mouth opened to respond, but was interrupted when the sturdy large doors that led to the throne room swung open and a courtier announced in a loud, booming voice, "Her majesty, Princess Chloe… Daughter of Pharaoh… Princess of Egypt… Bride of his majesty, Xerxes, prince of Persia..."

All eyes moved toward the entrance and a chilling silence swept across the throne room. Three women stood at the entrance. Jasmine and Merte both looked magnificent in their own right, wearing blue linen dresses handpicked for them to wear by Chloe herself. However, neither could take away the attention from the princess, who was standing a pace ahead of them, head held high, emanating regal composure.

Chloe was a vision to behold. Pearls studded her long, blonde hair, falling in waves down to her waist. A sapphire-studded golden band was over her forehead, the sapphires' hue complementing her bright blue eyes. The red silk dress she had on clung to her curves perfectly, flowing with her every graceful stride. There was a glowing radiance about her that left every person present in that room completely breathless, but none more breath-taken than her warrior.

Alek was lost amidst an ocean of heart ache and wonderment upon seeing her. She looked stunningly beautiful and the idea that she was dressed this way for the prince's pleasure made his gut turn within him. He had been curious to see the prince's reaction to seeing Chloe, but the moment she entered the room, he could not pry his eyes away from her.

That Alek would have eyes only for his princess served its purpose, because had he seen the stare the prince was giving Chloe, he would've been unable to keep himself from doing something he would deeply regret. Prince Xerxes, then sitting straight and practically on the edge of the throne, was eyeing the princess like a predator would stare at its prey. He shamelessly raked his eyes up and down Chloe's complete profile as the princess made her way closer to the throne.

Upon entering the hall, Chloe's first instinct was to search for Alek in as subtle a way as she could manage. She was able to lock eyes with him for a moment. She smiled at him in hopes of letting him know that she remained his before she was forced to look at the man she was about to marry. Upon seeing the way the prince was leering at her, Chloe trembled so profusely she was certain her knees would buckle beneath her. She could sense the blood drain from her face even as she halted at the bottom end of the steps that led to the throne. The courtier's pronouncement about who the prince was and succeeding announcement of the list of his royal titles and stations was lost on Chloe in a blurry rush as she bowed before her future husband.

She swallowed hard as she sensed the prince stand up from his seat and walk down the steps from his throne. He stopped on the last step. Chloe could feel his eyes on her and the emotions whirling inside her young soul was beyond anything she'd experienced before.

"Rise," the prince ordered.

Chloe, and both maidens behind her, quickly complied. Jasmine and Merte exchanged anxious glances as they stood up. Neither of them failed to notice the way the princess, who they knew to be a strong and courageous young woman, was shaking.

Chloe struggled to get up, considering how badly her knees were trembling, but she eventually managed to obey. She lifted her gaze to look at the man she was to marry for the first time. Her gut clenched. There was not a tinge of affection, much less love, in his gray eyes as he continued to openly leer at her. She tried to concentrate enough to study the features of his face, hopefully to get to know him, but in her anxiety, she could not look beyond his cold eyes.

He lifted his right hand below her chin and slightly raised her face for him to get a better look at her. "Princess Chloe."

"Prince Xerxes," she acknowledged him, relieved that she managed to remember his name.

"You truly are a beauty."

"Thank you, your majesty," she responded, relieved that her voice did not tremble along with her body.

He brushed his other hand over her arm and it took all of her willpower not to flinch at his touch. Used to Alek's sword-callused hands on her skin, she was surprised by how soft the prince's hands were, yet for some reason, Alek's touch felt so much gentler.

"You tremble, my lady." His eyes dropped to her chest. "Why so?"

It was easy to see that to reply would be of no use, because he was already too preoccupied studying her breasts. Chloe wanted to slap him, deeply disconcerted that he would not even bother to hide the way he was staring at her like he was just about ready to devour her. No man had ever treated her with such disrespect and she was no longer trembling out of anxiety, but pure anger.

From the audience, Alek was just as infuriated as she was at the way she was being treated. Anyone who looked at him could tell that he was more than ready to attack the prince and come to the defense of the princess he had sworn his life to protect.

Zahan held him by the arm. "Don't do anything you'll regret, soldier. She is his bride. He has every right to do with her as he pleases."

Raging brown eyes glared at the emissary and Zahan could immediately deduce that the warrior was not about to back down and accept the explanation he was throwing his way.

"She is a princess of Egypt, not some common harlot," Alek hissed. "Had he been here, our lord, Pharaoh, would not stand by and allow such treatment toward his daughter. It matters not that he is a prince. He does not have the right to treat her this way." Alek's chest was heaving up and down so heavily, his breaths were coming in controlled gasps.

Even Zahan found himself intimidated by the fire blazing in Alek's eyes. "It may well cause a war between our kingdoms if you do not reel your anger in, soldier."

"Lord Zahan," the prince spoke up and both Alek and the emissary looked the prince's way. "Is there something wrong?"

Chloe turned from facing the prince to look at the men the prince was addressing. She bit her lip when she saw that it was Alek and Zahan that the prince had his eyes on. At that moment, her heart went out to Alek, knowing how all this must be affecting him, but more than that, she was trying to keep herself from running to him, seeking safety in his arms.

"No, your highness." Zahan shook his head. "All is well."

Alek swore a million curses under his breath. _All is well? Your prince is practically undressing our beloved princess with his eyes. All is far from well. _He stepped forward, muscles flexed, a lion ready to pounce. His eyes roamed the hall, falling mainly on Chloe then to Jasmine's pleading brown eyes.

"Alek, don't," Jasmine mouthed at him. It was the concerned, desperate look on her eyes that proved enough to give him a sense of reality and cause him to back down.

The prince gave him a strange, lingering look before he returned his focus on Chloe. Finding that her eyes were still on the soldier who caused the commotion, he grabbed her jaw and made her face him. "Let me look at you," he said. He gazed at her face for a moment before smiling. "Breath-taking. I look forward to having you in our marriage bed, my lovely bride."

The wave of anger returned to Chloe in one mighty rush and she found herself unable to take it anymore. Maintaining womanly calm, she said in a low tone, "You offend me, your majesty."

Prince Xerxes raised a brow. "Oh? How so?"

"The audacity by which you look at me… Your brazenness even as you speak of our marriage bed in front of a court full of our most noble subjects… I cannot and will not stand for it, Prince Xerxes." Chloe, mustering all the courage she had in her, climbed one step forward so that she was on even ground with the prince. "You forget, sire, that I am the Princess of Egypt. If you want me for your bride, you will treat me with the respect that I deserve."

To her surprise, the prince backed down. Expecting a confrontation, Chloe was almost disappointed that the prince did not meet her head-to-head. Instead he stepped away from her and raised a brow at her, a grim look on his face. "Very well then, princess. I shall give you the respect that you demand." He then looked at one of the palace eunuchs and snapped his fingers.

The eunuch approached. "Your highness?"

"The wedding will proceed as planned," Prince Xerxes announced. He then looked at Chloe, "but not before the princess satisfies one condition."

Chloe simply glared at the prince, too infuriated to come up with a response.

The prince looked at the eunuch. "Take her to the royal midwife."

Chloe's face contorted with shock. "The royal midwife? What for?"

Prince Xerxes moved back up the steps that led to his throne. He sat on the throne before responding to her. "I want to make sure that my bride is the lady she claims to be."

Chloe could only tighten her jaw as she fought to maintain her composure despite the implication behind what the prince was saying.

The prince once again addressed the eunuch. "Make certain that no man has touched her before me."

Trained to always maintain her royal poise, outwardly, Chloe looked unfazed. Inside, however, her senses were whirling. Had she been able to look behind her, she would've seen the horrified looks on the faces of Merte and Jasmine.

Alek, on the other hand, was far from horrified. He was simply enraged. _Enough of this, _he determined. At that moment, no patronizing words from Zahan or pleading looks from Jasmine could've kept him from doing what he set his mind to do. The warrior was about to fight for his princess.


End file.
